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OF THE MILIARY FEVER.

Those who wait upon the sick in putrid fevers, ought always tohave a piece of sponge or a handkerchief dipt in vinegar, or juice o (lemon, to smell to while near the patient. They ought likewise towash their hands, and, if possible, to change their clothes, beforethey go into company.

CHAP. XXI.OF THE MILIARY FEVER.

THIS fever takes its name from the small pustules or bladderwhich appear on the skin, resembling, in shade and size, the seeds omillet. The pustules are either red or white, and sometimes bothare mixed together.

The whole body is sometimes covered with pustules; but they aregenerally more numerous where the sweat is most abundant, as onthe breast, the back, &c. A gentle sweat, or moisture on the skin,greatly promotes the eruption; but when the skin is dry, the erup-tion is both more painful and dangerous.

Sometimes this is a primary disease; but it is much oftener onlyi symptom of some other malady, as the small-pox, measles, ardent,putrid, or nervous fever, &c. In all these cases, it is generally theeffect of too hot a regimen or medicines.

The miliary fever chiefly attacks the idle and the phlegmatic, orpersons of a relaxed habit. The young and aged are more liable tcit than those in the vigour and prime of life. It is likewise more inci-dent to women than men, especially the delicate and the indolent,who, neglecting exercise, keep continually within doors, and liveupon weak watery diet. Such females are extremely liable to be seiz-ed with this disease in child-bed, and often lose their lives by it.

CAUSES. ------The miliary fever is sometimes occasioned by vio-lent passions or affections of the mind; as excessive grief, anxiety,thoughtfulness, &c. It may likewise be occasioned by excessivewatching, great evacuations, a weak watery diet, rainy seasons, eat-ing too freely of cold, crude, unripe fruits, as plums, cherries, cu-cumbers, melons, &c. Impure waters, or provisions which havebeen spoiled by rainy seasons, long keeping, &c. may likewise causemiliary fevers. They may also be occasioned by the stoppage ofany customary evacuation, as issues, setons, ulcers, the bleedingpiles in men, or the menstrual flux in women.

This disease in child-bed-women is sometimes the effect of greatcostiveness during pregnancy; it may likewise be occasioned by theirexcessive use of green trash, and other unwholesome things, in whichpregnant women are too apt to indulge. But its most general causeis indolenct. Such women as lead a sedentary life especially du-ring pregnancy, and at the same time live grossly, can hardly escapethis disease in childbed. Hence it proves extremely fatal to womenof fashion, and likewise to those women in manufacturing townswho, in order to assist their husbands, sit close within doors for al